


great charity, bad tactics

by surestsmile



Category: Kamen Rider W | Masked Rider Double
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-19
Updated: 2012-12-19
Packaged: 2017-11-21 14:05:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/598587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/surestsmile/pseuds/surestsmile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is one way to break Shoutarou out of a funk; make him wait on you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	great charity, bad tactics

**Author's Note:**

> Set after Episode 10.

He woke up to the sound of screaming, jerking up out of sleep and nearly tumbling to the floor when a hand gripped his arm to catch him. The sensation was so shocking that he instinctively flailed away, but the hand held on and a voice pierced his foggy mind, sharp and insistent.

"Shoutarou," Phillip repeated, and Shoutarou replied, a little wildly, "Phillip? What is it, did something happen?"

The answer was calm, matter of fact. "You were screaming."

Shoutarou gulped, felt the soreness in his throat, and knew it to be true. He also had an inkling, perhaps, of what he had been shouting out, a name he now whispered only around Akiko, hushed and ashamed. He didn't know of anything else that would make him yell like that.

"I'm sorry," he said, although Phillip didn't look as though he particularly minded the midnight disturbance. The other boy let go when he decided that Shoutarou could be trusted not to dissolve into hysterics, and sat down at the edge of Shoutarou's bed. Shoutarou's hands felt clammy and cold, and he bunched them into fists. "I...ha, it's been a while, I don't know what could have-"

"Terror."

"What?"

"The Dopant. It's called Terror. You were probably affected by it more than you thought."

Shoutarou shot him a look. "I'm not a little boy, Phillip. I don't get scared anymore. Anyway, how did-"

The other boy shrugged. "I just know. The name is fitting. And it's not about being scared, Terror is Terror. Everyone gets scared."

"Including you?"

Phillip looked at him passively, and Shoutarou laughed, low and short. "Figures," he muttered, "haven't had a nightmare for weeks and then this comes along." He trailed off, and then looked at Phillip. "You should get back to bed."

"I want hot cocoa," Phillip declared instead.

"What."

"Hot cocoa," his partner insisted, bottom lip beginning to swell into a pout, and Shoutarou could already hear Akiko complaining in his head about giving in one more time too many. But thinking about Akiko brought back memories of Oya-san, and Shoutarou pinched his eyes shut, gave a grunt and hauled himself out of bed.

Phillip trailed after him to the tiny aclove-kitchen, plopping down on the stool while Shoutarou boiled the milk and spooned cocoa powder into two mugs. Whatever the nightmare was, it shook him enough that his hands trembled, and he was glad to put the spoon down and wait. From the window, Fuuto was deep asleep, wind whispering through her roads and her houses, and Shoutarou allowed himself to just bask in her peace and quiet, for a few moments.

The bubbling milk brought him back to reality, but the brief moment of calm was enough for Shoutarou to pack away the mental box of memories. It wasn't healthy, Shoutarou knew, avoiding the issue, but he thought, well, there would be plenty of time after this entire mess. Hell, he's managed to dodge this for nearly a year, a few more months won't hurt. Probably.

Phillip made a pleased sound once Shoutarou passed him his cocoa, cupping his hands around the mug and slurping. Shoutarou was more sedate as he drank, just grateful for how the sweet drink warmed his body. Even if he hadn't thought of it, Phillip's out-of-the-blue demand helped.

"I'm done," Phillip announced, holding out the mug expectantly to be washed. There was a brown stain above his lip, and Shoutarou sighed and tossed a tissue at him, telling Phillip to wipe his face and reminded him to rinse his mouth. A quick glance at the clock told him that it was just half after two in the morning, and even if the cocoa made him feel warm and slightly sleepy, Shoutarou wasn't sure if he wanted to go back to bed.

"Now go to sleep," he told Phillip, but the other boy ignored him, taking his book and curling up in the corner next to the desk.

"You're not going to either," Phillip replied when Shoutarou opened his mouth to repeat his order. The detective took a deep breath, slowly counted to ten, and then said, "Okay, if I go to bed, you would too, right?"

Phillip simply gave him a winning smile.


End file.
